Millie’s Adventures – Millie, A dragon, an elephant and other things

Millie, a dragon, an elephant and other things…

Photos & Words by Ken Roberts

Sometimes you don’t have to stray too far from home to find wonderful places to go. I’ve lived all of my life in Gippsland and though I’ve travelled around the world I have always been so glad to return to this beautiful region.

Millie and I decided to return to places we already knew and see the new developments that had occurred. I grew up going to these favourite local haunts on lazy summer days with my family. Such memories! The whole family, and cousins, would head off early with cars packed to the hilt with enough supplies to last all day and we’d usually stay until the sun was going down. They were times when only local people really knew of these gems and so there were no crowds at all. The passing of time has changed that and facilities have been provided to enhance the experiences of visitors.

Only a few kilometers out of the charming hamlet of Briagolong signs lead you to The Quarry Reserve. In the mid 1800’s this site on the Freestone Creek was used as a Quarry and several buildings in the area were constructed with its stone. No longer a quarry, for over 60 years a committee of local residents have managed and improved the site. Not only does it have an ideal swimming hole but there are toilet facilities, an undercover barbecue shelter and fantastic playground. I remember as kids it was a “safe” place to explore and discover the bush. Its still the same now but with enhancements.

The gentle flowing creek can be a torrent when heavy rain sends water down from the catchment. Millie and I wandered around, explored and found the waterfall that is usually only a trickle when the water is lower. As we visited mid week the place was empty save for one camping couple who had ventured across from the other side of Melbourne and “found” this place online. They were glowing in their praise and said it was one of the best sites they had been to. I think we take it for granted living so near places like this and how easy it is to be in the bush within just a short drive.

Mills and I hopped in the car and travelled further up the Freestone Creek to the equally impressive and somewhat spectacular location of the Blue Pool.

Its more off the beaten track with a narrower windy road to get there but its worth the trip. As a kid it seemed like we were never going to arrive. There was nothing there when we used to go except for an old house that Mr Hair lived in. Its nice for others to be able to enjoy it but I think I was spoilt when we could enjoy it with only a few other locals around. Now there are numerous carparks with barbecue areas, long drop toilets and 30 free walk in campsites. All of this is discreetly away from the main feature itself, the pool and surrounding bushland.

This time Mills and I were the only ones there and had the bliss and peaceful serenity to ourselves. There are numerous walking tracks around but sitting before the reflective still water was just marvellous. The pool itself is deceptively deep and below the surface the water is very cold. Its safe but you need to be a adequate swimmer to venture far from the stony shore. I remember it was like a right of passage to swim to the far channel and leap off the rock escarpment. I must admit I did it very few times. There is nothing better though on a blistering hot summer’s day to be refreshed in the crisp clear cool water of the Blue Pool.

Why does it always seem quicker on the drive home? Millie and I returned the way we came and stopped to look at the murals around the town of Briagolong. Its such a lovely community place and the Briag pub at the cross roads is a popular place for both locals and visitors alike with a fantastic menu and live music some nights.

It ended up being a bit of a mural day because we also went to check out new murals on the recently completed railway bridge across the wide Avon River at Stratford. It was one of those things I had been intending to do but hadn’t gotten around to. I was so surprised when we drove into the Apex Park along side the river at the many improvements that had been made. The castle playground for kids was fantastic, with its own genial dragon. There was a pump track for kids and large fenced grassy areas for picnics. It was not only a great stop off place for travellers on the highway but a destination in itself to play and explore. What I enjoyed the most were the mural paintings on the side of the new bridge. Stunning work!

Millie and I wandered along the pathways to explore the stony riverbed and admire both the new and old rail bridges. I was glad we took the time to visit.

On our trip home, not far away, we had one more stop to make…..

Ever since I was a child there had been an urban legend that an elephant had hit its head on the railway overpass just out of Stratford. It was supposed to have died and been buried along the river somewhere. There were so many stories over the years, which seemed to grow taller with every decade.

A local resident Gavan Donoghue decided to put an end to speculation and began exhaustive research that eventually lead him to write a book, “The Stratford Elephant Mystery”. Now, a commissioned mural adorns the bridge memorialising “Betty”, the elephant suggested as the one involved. Mills and I stopped for a closer look, its another great art work on our small “mural” tour of the area.

When we reached home I was so pleased that I had reacquainted myself with some familiar places and also visited some new ones. Its so pleasing to be able to journey near (and far) across my beloved Gippsland and visit an almost endless array of amazing places to see and experience.